Larry Buchanan Realtor®

Archive for the ‘Jacksonville Homes’ Category

You and your family have decided that it is time to move to a larger home. However, you must sell the home you are currently living in to be able to make the move. The nagging question that pops into your mind is “When is the right time to sell my home?” The truth is there is no clear answer to your question.

The reason there is no clear answer is because there are many factors to be considered and each of these are of a subjective nature. But, all is not lost. The information contained in this article, hopefully, will give you a better feel for when the right time might be for you to sell your home.

People who are looking to buy homes do so through out the year. They base their decision on their own personal circumstances, which are occurring in their life and the life of their family. The circumstances can range from illness, divorce, employment, retirement, death of a loved one and the list goes on and on, as you well know.

The only clear trend which can be drawn from this is that normally there are more of these buyers entering the home marketplace during the spring and summer. This in turn can lead you to believe this is the best time, however there are more factors you should take into consideration.

While seasonal trends are important they are not the most important thing to keep in mind when selling your home. The most compelling factor in selling your home is your own needs and personal circumstances. There has to be a reason why you are selling your home and more than likely you are facing a deadline of some type. Focus on those rather than on the time of the year. Although, your own personal circumstances may not allow you to wait for the busy season, you should also pay attention to the current market conditions in your area.

It is important for you to determine whether it is a “Buyers Market” or a “Sellers Market” as either one will dramatically impact the value of your home. A buyers market usually indicates there are a great many homes on the market and the prices are falling because of the glut of homes on the marketplace. The sellers market will usually be an indication of a limited supply of quality homes, rising interest rates and home prices. If it is a buyers market you will be facing stiff competition when you are trying to sell your home.

One of the things you should consider in a buyers market is whether or not your home is extremely well maintained and priced so it will standout above the other homes on the market. If you think your home will not stand up well against the competition, perhaps, if your personal circumstances allow, you will better off waiting until the housing market takes the turn back to a sellers market. However, if your personal circumstances will not allow you to wait, the sooner you get your home on the market the better.

Apart from the current market conditions you should also understand where the market is going. This involves a bit of research to figure out future trends from past ones. Though you can’t accurately predict the future of the market you can get a reasonably close picture. The real estate market experts usually will have some expectation based on their experience and this should be factored into your decision making process.

The best time of the year is not as important as your personal needs and the state of the market. Therefore, after you have had time to weigh your personal circumstances and the marketplace, then and only then, will you get a better feel on the right time to sale your home.

I’ve got lots of stories I can share, however, the bottom line is, you need solid answers and lots of them. Yes, the market is moving, however, not for everyone. Let’s get together and take a close look at options that will work best for you.

Call me at 904-910-0203

I’m Larry Buchanan and I’m a full time Realtor. Let’s talk.
email: Larry@ LarryBuchananRealtor.com

Very few days go by where I do not have a conversation with a friend or business contact who must sell their home quickly. The media has done a good job of alerting everyone to the fact that the housing market has taken a dive, which definitely slowed the sale of millions of homes across the country.

If the thought of when to place your home on the market is a concern, as you continue to read, you will find that a few things have changed since the first of the year, especially in the greater Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beaches areas.

According to a recent story in the Associated Press, the fallout in regard to foreclosures seems to be affecting Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida with the highest increases in foreclosures in the first quarter of the year.

While it’s easy to miss the positive side of this news, the impact on home buyers is on the up-swing. However, in the City of Jacksonville and the Beaches areas, home sales are gaining ground as well. I’ve been fortunate enough to find a couple of niches that are moving somewhat faster, sales wise, than the market in general.

The circumstances that support this trend are most likely tied to rising foreign interest in the US real estate market, fueled by the current weakness in the dollar. When combined with the rising number of foreclosures and the attractiveness of the US dollar’s purchasing power in many countries, the timing is right for sales to warm up in this area.

My best advice for homeowners interested in selling is to spruce up and liven up interior and external areas of your home. Particularly in the Beaches areas where traffic is becoming noticeably higher.

My advice for buyers, including investors is to shop carefully. While real estate in interior areas of Jacksonville provide good dollar values, Jacksonville’s Beaches are beginning to sell at very attractive levels. With foreign interest warming, don’t hesitate too long before starting your search. There are many hidden values just waiting for an offer.

Please feel free to call me to get your questions answered.

Best Regards,
Larry
Larry Buchanan Realtor, Prudential Network Realty
Phone: 904-910-0203
Email: Larry @LarryBuchananRealtor.com

I have six quotes on my wall that I recently added… and many people
have told me they like to read quotes as part of starting their day. My friends speak of quotes as an important part of their tool kit of success secrets.

Without getting too technical, psychologists have observed that during times of financial turmoil and associated stresses, positive quotes can stimulate a powerful response in the subconscious mind.

Bottom line, you will be more successful, based on the advice of professionals in the world of personal development, if you add quotes to your daily exercise routine…I promise.

Here are a few quotes I recently received to share with my blog fans. Please feel free to write these down and use on your wall or carry in your daytimer.

- “Self esteem is everything. There is power in believing that I deserve success!”

- “All men are very much alike. It is their habits which separate
them.” (Ladies are not off the hook for this one either)

- “Time is the irretrievable element. A top ranking decision I must make every day is how I use my time.”

- “I will never punish myself for any mistake I make out of enthusiasm.”

- “I will cut all ties with dishonest or negative people and revise my list every day.”

- “People will only treat me like my actions TEACH them to treat me. Nothing more and Nothing less.”

What do you think of those quotes?

I hope you found them fresh enough to add them to your list of things-to-do today!

I look forward to reading your comments.

Best Regards & Thanks for stopping by…
Larry
Larry Buchanan Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
Phone: 904.910.0203
Email: Larry @LarryBuchananRealtor.com

As you begin to prepare your home for sale, the most important thing you must take into consideration is the “asking price” also known as the listing price.

Regardless of the condition of your residence, this will be the one thing which will attract ready buyers and help determine how quickly your house will sell so you can get close to the maximum return on your investment, depending on the period when you first bought your house. The information in this article will provide you with some thoughts which will help you reach your goal.

Many people make the mistake of pricing their property below the real value and the current market price of competing and comparable residential real estate. It is true by doing so you will attract the maximum number of prospects (qualified or not) but the reverse can also happen.

There for if you start your “asking price” at or near the “rock bottom price” you may well lose a perfectly qualified buyer, because you have left no negotiating room in your price.

The majority of buyers today expect to be able to do a “little horse trading” when purchasing real estate. And in turn, even if it’s the perfect house for them, they will walk away simply because they feel you are being unreasonable.

On the other hand if you put your “asking price” at the high end of the market once again you could discourage people who are qualified and ready to buy.

One of the first questions the majority of buyers will ask about is the price. With your price on the high end these folks may well decide, the house, even though it is their “dream home” and the ideal area for raising their family, is just too expensive. Which in turn means they are going to seek a more reasonable priced home in the same neighborhood or immediately adjacent to your neighborhood.

Finding and setting the “perfect” price for your home is something many sellers begin by doing a little research on the World Wide Web. Thanks to the internet, and to prepare yourself for when you’re ready to talk with realtor, you can check the “asking price” of several homes in your area. This will help you understand more about the range to consider for reaching a fair asking price both for you and for your prospective buyers.

Naturally, being informed, will help you feel more confortable once you’re ready to price your home. My goal is to help you arrive at a price that is not to low or too high.

You can be confident that, with my assistance, you won’t leave thousands of dollars on the table and be in position to put thousands of more dollars in your wallet by maximizing the return on the equity in your home.

I am always available to answer your questions. Please don’t hesitate to call, even if you don’t feel the timing is perfect for you to make a decision.

Best Regards,
Larry
Larry Buchanan Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
Call me: 904-910-0203
Email me: Larry@Larry Buchanan Realtor.com

Click here to see my complete listing of homes in the Greater Jacksonville Area

Nearly everyday I speak with women on the subject of the economy and how it is affecting home ownership. Women and men are worried about how long should they hold off their purchase decision while they wait to see how low prices will go.

For women, the decision is no different than it is for men. However, the concensus of women I have spoken to is that their approach to financing the purchase is, and must be different from the strategies used by men.

I found this to be an interesting point of view, so I did my homework. If you have a few moments please read a report I put together for women considering home ownership. In today’s real estate climate, knowledge is power. I hope that you find this to be helpful information.

Are you a woman who has the dream of owning your own home? If you do, you are definitely not alone. While a large number of women already own their own homes, there are even more who are looking to do so.

Unfortunately, many women mistakenly believe that they cannot afford the cost of a new home. Yes, there are really some who may be unable to afford the cost of a new home, but, for others, it is actually a lot easier than it appears.

The first step in buying a new home involves examining where you would like to reside. This is important as it gives you an idea as to what the average asking price for homes is. This average asking price can give you an idea as to the amount of money that you would need to have.

Since different areas of the United States have different real estate market conditions, this should be one of your very first steps. Once you decide where you would like to live, you can go about finding a home to buy, as well as get financing for that home.

Speaking of financing, there are many individuals who mistakenly believe that they need to have money, upfront, to buy a home. That is not the truth. In fact, in the United States, and especially in the greater Jacksonville area, most women and men, use financing, provided by financial lenders, to afford the cost of a home. If you have yet to consider getting a mortgage for your new home purchase, this is the time to do so.

If you need to obtain financing to purchase a new home, your first thought may be to head on down to your local bank or a local home lending office. While this is more than possible to do, you may want to first request a copy of your credit report.

Financial lenders will use your credit report to determine if you are a good candidate for receiving a loan from them. The cleaner your credit report is, the more likely it is that you will be awarded financing for the purchase of your new home. If your credit report is less than perfect, you may want to try paying off some of your old debts before approaching a financial lender.

Although a mortgage or a home loan can help you afford the cost of a new home, there are many financial lenders who first require a down payment. This down payment varies from lender to lender.

It is common for mortgage or home loan down payments to be anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. For many individuals, this is where the problem comes in. If you are wondering how you can go about coming up with the money needed for a down payment, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the easiest ways for you to save money for a new home down payment is by reducing or completely eliminating all of your unnecessary purchases. These unnecessary purchases may include a coffee, soda, or other snacks at work, dining out, a full cable television package, and so forth.

Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize the importance of eliminating their unnecessary purchases, when looking to save money to buy a new home. Yes, you may only be able to save $20 or $50 a week, but it is important to remember that money can add up overtime.

Another way that many women work to come up with the down payment often needed to buy a home is by getting a second job or by requesting additional hours at work. While doing so may result in you having less free time with your family, it is a sacrifice that many women are willing to make.

With an increased workload at work or a second job, even just a part-time one where you only work ten hours a week, you may be able to quickly come up with the down payment needed to acquire a home loan or a mortgage.

For many women, home ownership is an issue that they deal with in their life. The above mentioned approaches are just a few of the many ways that you can go about getting the home of your dreams.

Please feel free to post your comments and questions. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Larry Buchanan Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
Phone me at:904-910-0203
email: Larry@Larry Buchanan Realtor.com

PS Click here to see my complete listing of homes in the Greater Jacksonville Area

I’ve spoken to so many people about so many things in the past weeks, I felt my blog readers might have some of the same questions. It’s no secret that anything related to finances is a top concern these days. And credit is at the top of the list.

Please take a few moments to read this report about correcting errors on your credit report. Even with the real estate slowdown that’s happening around the country, Jacksonville real estate, and especially Jacksonville Beach real estate prices remain attractive. And houses are selling.

However, it won’t help your cause if you wait until you’ve made a buying decision, to check your credit report. Check it now by using the simple step by step process that follows…

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People that compile your personal credit reports are human beings. And like you and me, they can make mistakes while compiling your reports from the various sources from which they receive information about your spending habits. Thus, requesting for a copy of your report often (at least 2-3 times a year) is very important.

By reviewing your credit report you will know what the credit bureaus are compiling about you. You will be able to discover unfavorable information and request corrections before they start can spreading inaccurate information about you.

When you get a copy of your personal credit report you will be able to determine the status of your credit file. Study the information in it very closely and attempt to remove all unfavorable information in it.

All your credit history may not be contained in one file from a single firm. So if possible, order reports from all of the top 4 credit firms to start your review. Some information may be duplicated in one or two company’s reports, but not included in the other company’s files.

You need to note the spelling of your full name, social security number, current and previous addresses, spouse’s name, and date of birth and make sure that they are correct because they are points used in identifying you.

Also, make sure that merchants’ names, credit account number, date opened, date closed, high credit limit, highest amount of credit used, and repayment history are correct, current and accurate.

After studying the file carefully if you notice any errors, write out the details of the exact error and the way you think it should be listed. You will find a space on the right-hand side of your reports where you may protest any item in your report that you feel is incorrect.

You will have to attach photocopies along with pertinent information to prove your claim and send it to the credit bureau by mail. It’s a good idea to certify your mailing.

When the credit bureau(s) receive your message they will investigate and send you results of their investigation. You will have to exercise patience during this period because it may take the bureau some time to complete their investigation.

I hope you find this to be useful information and look forward to your questions and comments.

Larry Buchanan Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
Phone me at:904-910-0203
email: Larry@Larry Buchanan Realtor.com

PS Click here to see my complete listing of homes in the Greater Jacksonville Area

Everyone would like to have a place that they can call their home. If you have saved enough money, you might even consider building your own home or buying instead of renting. But there is one problem, the country is now in a financial crisis. So should you consider building or buying a home now or continue paying rent?

The answer is definitely move away from paying rent. As long as you have money in your possession, today’s real estate market values are in your favor. This means you don’t have to borrow a large sum of money from the bank in order to find a good value in a home. Plus, even though the cost of materials would seem to be low, according to the latest economic reports, they are in fact rising.

So, first things first. You want to spend some time figuring out what kind of home do you want to have and set a certain budget. After getting an idea of where you’d like to be, both in regard to location, and price, you also have to factor in inflation and a little allowance just in case there will be some unexpected situations later on. With all the information you have gathered, you can provide your realtor with an overview of your plans and ideas.

Over time, the value of your house will go up and when you decide to sell it, you will have more money which you can use to buy or build a bigger home.

That may not be the case right now when we are currently facing a financial crisis but it will happen. One thing that could help increase its value even is to install eco-friendly mirrors, low drain, high efficiency appliances and a good security system.

You’ll never build a strong plan for your future financial health if you continue to pay rent because you are just shelling out money and giving this to the landlord rather than earning interest and appreciation.

Remember, it is currently cheaper to buy a home especially with the very low market values currently being observed in this section of the country. Even though it’s not easy to think about it now, the financial crisis will eventually stabilize.

There are a lot of lessons you will learn when you decide to purchase a home. In fact, when you make a home buying decision, you don’t only establish a place for yourself but also help people in the comunnity in many different ways. This is because you have now added to the overall growth of the economy and the neighborhood in a positive way. While also stimulating the local revenue.

So should you buy your home amidst the current economic decline affecting the real estate industry? Yes because you will finally have your dream home just the way you like it…and the homes on the market these days are largely environment friendly or “greener” and often exceed standards that relate to the latest environmental regulations.

Please feel free to leave your comments…

Larry Buchanan Realtor
904-910-0203
email: Larry @ Larry Buchanan Realtor.com

Click here to see my complete listing of homes in the Greater Jacksonville Area

If you know anything about Realtors, you know we can talk about houses and real estate for hours, like most people talk about sports or their families:)

Well my goal is not to bore you, instead I’d like to share something that might just excite you.

In this business, and more importantly, at this point in the Jacksonville home market, the name of the game is timing and opportunity. I’ll get right to the point…

Homes that have been on the market for a long period are being reduced and the time to purchase, especially in Jacksonville Beach, could not be better. Those who try to time the market’s lowest point, traditionally miss out on the buys of a lifetime. We’re at that point with this home I’d like to show you.

You see the picture so you know what’s on the block. The property is being sold As-Is. Here are the details:

The price has been reduced because the seller means business. “Motivated seller” can often be used as a tactic or buzz word. With this seller, it’s just the plain truth.

This is an real opportunity on a real estate winner for any savvy buyer. The property is zoned commercial/residential. The options list is nothing less than robust with this Commercially Zoned Parcel. You’ll have tons of potential, mainly based on the location.

If your interest is building to your own design, make the call. If your preference is a well timed investment that’s close enough to the market bottom to make a decision, make the call.

My cell phone is always at my side, and you’ll find, I talk just like I write. My focus is providing facts you can check. I don’t believe in hype and misdirection. The truth stands the test of time and it’s how I prefer to build my reputation. My number is 904-910-0203…make the call and let’s chat.

Ciao,
Larry

Larry Buchanan Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
email:Larry@LarryBuchananRealtor.com

Click here to see my complete listing of homes in the Greater Jacksonville Area

Hopefully you haven’t responded to ads like this. I’ve been seeing or hearing about such practices and it concerns me deeply.

As a Realtor, I and my counterparts are dedicated to providing realistic and honest responses when approached about buying or selling a home in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach or any of the other communities throughout NE Florida.

The idea of buying a $1 million home for $2500 is a promoter’s way of getting consumers interested in purchasing homes through auction sales. These homes are listed on the county rolls because they have tax liens. The process is more complicated than most people can learn from the books that promoters are selling….especially over the Internet.

My suggestion is one that will help you make your best decision…and most likely will also save you headaches and money!

Always talk with a Realtor. We are licensed and duty bound to provide reliable information. My years of experience have allowed me to meet some really great people and help them find the home of their dreams.

Free, professional advice is always available when you are dealing with a Realtor. Check with me if you are concerned about real estate options that are the best match for your situation. You’ll be surprised at the options that are available in today’s real estate marketplace.

I’ve been honored by being named as a Jacksonville Best Realtor. I work hard to earn the respect of those I work through my willingness to go the extra mile.

Feel free to call me with your questions. I’m always near the phone to return your calls promptly.

Larry Buchanan Realtor
904-910-0203
email:Larry@Larry Buchanan Realtor.com

Click here to see my current listings in the Greater Jacksonville Area

Whether you are actively looking for a home or sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right time, you’ve probably heard about short sales.

Short sales have been around for a while, however they are becoming more common in today’s real estate environment. Basically, a short sale is a positive option for a home owner who is in jeopardy of foreclosure.

Several factors must be in place in order for a short sale to be available to a home owner looking to sell. The most important factor is a bank or mortgage holder who is willing to work with the home owner in order to avoid beginning the foreclosure process.

While short sales are just beginning to gain traction in the local market, I have facilitated several in recent months. The process requires lots of communication with the mortgage holder and the home owner wishing to sell.

For the prospective purchaser, the benefits are plentiful. Naturally, this is not something that’s is always available, however, when a short sale is on the table, the sceniaro for a win-win outcome is definitely in play.

I’ve been in the area for nearly 25 years and can help with any questions you may have in regard to real estate in NE Florida.

NE Florida real estate is considered an undervalued and overlooked commodity which makes your timing more important than ever.
Please do not hesitate to call me with your questions or comments.

Please feel free to call me at 904-910-0203. I look forward to speaking with you.

Larry Buchanan, Realtor®
email:Larry@Larry Buchanan Realtor.com
Prudential Network Realty, Inc.
PS Click here to see my current listings in the Greater Jacksonville Area